May 11, 2010

I like big hair and I cannot lie!

In the south, there are certain things that we take very seriously and our hair is most definitely one of those things. When I was really small, I had the cutest little ringlets (not to brag), but as I got older and wanted to let my hair grow out, it turned into quite the frizzy mop. My mom didn't have a lot of experience with curls or how to style them (you tried Momma!), so my usual hair style was a tight French braid (ouch!) or that one time I had bangs and a short bob (NEVER AGAIN).

Because my hair isn't straight or even brush-able, I have been forced to adapt my methods of caring for it. I guess my best hair advice is this: do what works for you. The only reason certain rules came to be is they worked for the majority of the people, but if your hair goes against the flow...you need a new set of rules. If washing your hair every day works for you, be my guest. If I tried washing my hair every day, it would be as dry as a haystack and I wouldn't have time to do much of anything else. I wash mine about every third (fourth) day and only with conditioner instead of shampoo. Sound crazy to you? Maybe so, but it works for me. If we have similar hair, it might work for you as well. Otherwise I think you should try to figure out what works for your hair and run with that.

A few tips.....

1. Be brave: Want to try a complete new color or style? What's the worst thing that can happen.....(famous last words). No, but really. If you have a hairstylist that you trust (this is key!), he or she will try his/her darnedest not to let you down. And usually if you hate it, they won't let you leave until they've tried to fix it.

2. Be realistic: If you've seen my hair, you know that it will never look like this: That doesn't mean I didn't spend much of the 90s trying to get it to, but come on....no flatiron ever created could get me there. I finally decided to embrace the hair God gave me and try to make the best of it.

3. Be a mad scientist: Some of the greatest things I've used on my hair weren't even hair products. For years, hand lotion has been my go-to frizz fighter and it smells great too. Also, foamy shaving cream works in a pinch when you don't have mousse on hand.

{My current trifecta of frizz fighting power!}

{My little sis & me a few years ago…curl power!}

Do you have any hair triumphs (or woes) that you’d like to share? Maybe a new product that just hit the market is your new go-to…or maybe an old stand-by is your fave? Let us all in on your little secrets!